CCS Prepares To Pare Jobs, Programs, More

3-12-10

Full Airing Anticipated

By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN

It was just a prelude.
But the Cooperstown Central school board’s unveiling of its proposed 2010-11 budget indicated some of the anguish and pained debate to come.
That was expected to begin at the school board’s first budget work session, scheduled at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, in the Middle/High School cafeteria.
But the Wednesday before, 120 parents, teachers and community members gathered in the same cafeteria to learn the school board’s first pass would decrease the budget by 1.79 percent to $16,252,158; even at that, property taxes would rise 8.8 percent.
Supt. of Schools Mary Jo McPhail detailed the bad news:  the proposal eliminates five teaching positions, French, JV football and field hockey, two modified basketball coaches,  summer drivers’ ed and a handful of aides. Even so, elementary-class size might rise.

Comments from the public included:
• Parent Ivy Bischof who, noting Bassett Healthcare contributes to the private Brookwood School, asked if it could contribute to the public schools as well.  (Answer: Yes)
• Teacher Barbara D. Cannon pointed out that, with the  elimination of French, CCS will only offer two Regents’ approved languages:  Spanish and Latin.  Mandarin and Japanese, which are being considered, are not Regents’ approved, she said.
• Parent Holly Hren said hard times will require the community to focus:  “Unpopular as this is going to be, it’s really just the fat coming off ... We’re being given the opportunity to decide just what is important to us as a community.”

 The cuts are are being considered after Governor Paterson’s proposed budget included across the board state-aid cuts to education, 13.6 percent for CCS.
At the same time, local contributions to the teacher retirement fund would rise 25 percent, and to the non-teacher retirement fund, 72 percent.
A school board will present a revised budget March 17, adopt the budget April 7 and hold a budget hearing May 5.  The budget vote and school board elections is May 19.